Cementitious building-block.



1% 897,552. PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1908.

E. H; McGLINTOGK GEMENTITIOUS BUILDING BLOGK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11, 1906.

- nzlenlen' 74 672128; e s C miur-a/rd W 7716 GZQ'faG/g @A/caA. h. kffll'yofney To all whom may concern:

UTTETE EDWARD H. MGOLINTGOK, OF WEST SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD B MARTIN, JOHN D. CROSBY, AND CHESTER S. DAY AND ONE-FOURTH TO ARTHUR S. MARTIN, ALL OF BOSTON, MASS/.XOEUSETTS.

CEMENTITIOUS BUILDIING BLOCK.

. No, ee7,ase.

Specification oi Letters Patent.

?atented Sept. .1, 1908.

Application filed June 11, 1906. "Serial No. 321,274:-

Be it ilrnown that I, Enwnnn H. Melina 'roon, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Somervilie, in the county of Middle sex and State of Massachusetts, have in vented certain new and useful improvements in .Cementitious Building-Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates, in general, to building blocks of cementitious compositions, and has for its object to provide .a block embodying provisions whereby a circulation of air throughout-a'wall built therefrom is made possible, said blocks furthermore being so constructed that the assage of moisture from the weather side of the block to the interior surface by capillary or like action is re duced to a minimum, resulting in a-dry wall 1 attain these objects by the block illustrated consists of a block preferably rectangular m general outline, having a recess, preferably arch-shaped, cored in the bottom part there of, and of sich size as mum amount of material from the block consistent 'with preserving the desired strength in the saine. To that end the arch springs from near the edges of the block at l, the height of the same being such as toreach, at its crown comparatively near the upper sur' face of the block. The width of the recess is such as to leave but a thin shell of material near the rear face of the block as it appears in Fig. 1.

Laterally projecting from the crown of the arch is the tongue 2 preferably having its u per surface flush with the top of the bloc r, and its lower surfacein general conforming to the shape of the crown of the arch from which 'it roiects. The female component shown in l! ig; 2 is a block generally similar in external shape, size, etc, to, the male cornonent, and. embodies a recess similar to that escribed in connection with the male com' 'ponent. The crown of the said arch is, however, cut away to form-an opening 3 in the oithe said block of a shape and size cor responding to thz it oi the tongue 2,

said tongue 2 were, 'lilhng the opemng 3 1n the female coin' to remove the maxi-,-

iorm passages leading in .ractice in block is formed in its 'e'n- 1 V l tire ty by combining components to form ably being-held togetherthrough the dovetailing of the tongue within the opening 3 of the female compo nent, as is shown in. the said Fig. 3.

When the components, are to be set together, which is done preferably at the time.

when the block is being positioned in the wall under process of construction, mortar is spread in usual manner on thesurfaces where the block will bear against the blocks adjacent thereto, and the female component, preferably is then set with reference to the exposed surface of the wall. Mortar is next spread either on the 7, surfaces 4, l, which form the sides of the tongue 2, or on the surfaces 5, 5, forming the sides of the opening 3, as well as on the surfaces where the male component will bear against adjacent-blocks. The male component may nowbe set, bein so placed that the tongue 2 enters into an fills the opening 3, being forced thereinto until the upper surfacesof the two components are substantially in the same plane, the serving as a keystone, as it arch over the ponent, and completing the The adjacent recess of said component.

laces 6 and 7, of the two components are not placed in contact, but are somewhat separated irom each other, as by the spac ng blocks 8, 8, orin any other desired manner, so as to leave the slits 9, 10, and 11, which from the arch shaped recess of the block to its upper surface. The

I. separation-of the block components may also;

be effected without use of the blocks 8, 8, by making tongue 2 of a greater recess 3. in such case the block components may be set together so that the tongue preferably fills' recess 3 completely, thus doing away with slit 10. The length of tongue 2 should exceed that of recess 3 enough to cause the separation. of the block components along the adjacent faces 6 and 7, forming slits or passages 11 and 12 operating as before described to ail'ord air communication between top of block and recess;

in laying up a wall with my blocks it is customary to place the blocks so that they h'realr joints with each other, a block of one the male and thei'emale. the composite block as .shown in Fig. 3, the saidcornponents prefer- 2 of the male component length than the course being placed so that its ends rest on the crowns of the arches of two adjacent blocks of the next lower course. The arched recess of the upper block is thus substantially centrally located above the meeting ends of the blocks of the said lower course, and the slits 9 and 11, and also slit 10 in part, aiiord.

a communication between the recessesof' the blocks in one course with those of the course lying next above or below the same.

By reason of the intercommunication afforded by the passages or slits 9, 10, and 11,

a free circulation of air throughout the wall is made possible whereby the same is kept in a we'll-ventilated and dry condition. Furthermore owing to the fact that the component of the block which is exposed to the weather is separated from its companion component by a mortar joint along their contacting surfaces 4, 4 and 5, 5, and is also separated by mortar joints from the blocks ad jacent thereto, the -penetrationof moisture,

' due to capillary or other action, from the exposed or weather surface, is largely arrested by-the said mortar joints so that the blocks forming the interior of the wall are main tained practically free from moisture.

It is evident that the advantages of myinvention may be substantially realized in a block having a recess which is not technically included in the term arch-shaped; provided that said recess be s 6 formed as to j' cause the 'inclosing sides, preferably at the ends of the block, to gradually thicken towards LL16 top of the block so as to provide an upper surface of sufficient thickness and strength to support the superincumbent' to fit within a corresponding recess in the surface of the other component.

' 2. A" cementitious building block coi11-v I prising two interengaging components, forming, in their engaged position a block whose under portion has a: cored away recess open sat/3552 ing from, and largest near, the bottom sur' face of the block, and extendingaivi-th'a grad ually decreasing horizontal a r into the upper portion of thesame, said components engaging by a tongue extending from the upper surface of one component, and adapted to fit within a corresponding recess .in the upper surface of the other component, and

being provided with means whereby the said components are separated along their adjacent faces so as to establish passages leading from the recess to the surface .of the block 3. A 'cementitious building block co1n-' prising two interengaging component's, form-- .ing, in their engaged position a block whose under portion is partially cored away to form. a recess opening from, and largest near,

the bottoinof, said block, the sides of'said recess, converging towards the upper portion of said block, the height of said recess being less than that of the block so as to leave the upper surface thereofsubstantially entire; said component-s engaging by a tongue laterally extending f-rom'the'upper surface of one component, and adapted to lit within a'cor'responding recess iii-the surface of the other component." 4. A cement-itious building block comprising two interengagingcomponents, forming,'in their engaged position, a block whose under portion has a cored-'away'arch-shaped recess contained in part 111' each component, said components engag ng bya tongue 1ntegral with crown of one component-andada'pted td fit within a corresponding recess in the crown of the other component; I

5. cementitiou's building block comprising twointerengaging components form 'ing in their engaged position a block whose under portion is partially cored. away to form an archshaped recess contained'i-n part in each component, said components engag mg by a-tongue integralwith, and pro ecting from the crown of one component and adapted to fit within a; corresponding recess in the crown of the. other component, and havingspacmg device's wherebycsaid components are separated along their adjacent faces so as to establish passages leading'f'rom the recess to the surface ofthe'blockg In testimony whereof I- afiix. 'my'signature presence of twowitnesses. i

EDWARD n, MocmNTocx. Witnesses: t I v WILLIAM A1 .Cornnsnn 

